Ascendants
by SuperNatural1985
Summary: A plan to arm humans and then out supernaturals. A brother's love. Jude will do anything to save his brother Max, but he has to find him first. The pack will do anything to save the pack and using Jude, a wayward mutt with a dangerous family is just the first step.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. Kelley Armstrong owns The Otherworld and all the wonderful information there.

***This is something I have had in the works for a while. I just recently realized I could reuse Max for this revamping the whole series. Max will appear in this and soon but I needed to start with something totally different. This will be a mix of old and new. I hope you enjoy!**

Ch 1 Criminal Intent

They circled one another slowly timing breathing patterns, analyzing muscle twitches. The wolf saw everything even if the human wasn't aware. Reese clenched his fists not taking his eyes off the young mutt. He was disheveled in ripped coat and jeans, smelly and filthy. There was nothing cocky about the boy who moved smoothly though, his eyes sparking with intelligence and awareness, his eyes seemed displaced by the grime surrounding them.

Arrayed in a semi-circle were three other pack members arms crossed. They stood silently waiting for Reese to make the first move, a pack tradition. He would get no help. He shot forward lighting fast and grabbed for the mutt's shoulder. The mutt ducked and sent a punch which Reese blocked grabbing the mutt's arm and twisting to throw off his momentum.

The mutt scowled and grabbed the back of Reese's knee digging his fingers in hard making the pack wolf kick out to catch the mutt in the side. Reese grabbed his leg and wrenched bringing him to the floor where they both grabbed for one another at the same time and started rolling in flurry of punches, kicks and growls.

"He's on the level he should be for his age, maybe a little below Noah and definitely rough around the edges," Nick observed. The mutt growled at this proving he was easily distracted.

The advantage changed every few seconds with Reese on top throwing a punch one second and then the mutt kicking, trying to bite or incapacitate without finesse. Nick glanced at Elena after ten minutes of this. She was watching every second of the fight. She would have comments later. Clay was typing on his iPad refining a lecture he would be giving the upcoming week.

"Reese, end it," Elena ordered. The mutt growled when he saw Reese had been holding back. He grinned. In seconds he had the mutt on his back pressed into the floor, an arm at his throat and his hands pinned by his knees grinding into his stomach. The mutt glared up at him as the Alpha walked over and crouched.

"I am going to offer you your life for your help," she announced. The mutt turned his head a bit surprised as Reese pushed down on his neck increasing the pressure.

"My help?" Jude wheezed glaring at the man above him, Reese smiled.

"I am interested in catching your brother and father and I think you may be my best bet." Jude laughed at this and Reese pushed down even more cutting off his air fully and causing him to make a strangled noise. "You have ten seconds to agree before I order Reese to snap your neck," she announced.

The mutt looked up at her wild eyed. "Eight seconds," Reese reminded in a cheery voice. It caught Jude off guard when he spoke. His accent was Australian or New Zealand.

"It's impossible," the boy protested wheezing.

"Six seconds," he said quietly. Jude struggled bucking up and trying to get the werewolf off but he had a good twenty pounds of him, mostly in muscle. He held tightly.

"You don't understand."

"Three."

"No."

"Two."

"Please."

"One," Reese finished tightening his grip and moving one hand to the side of his head so he could snap Jude's neck quick and clean. He was looking forward to a nice hot shower and getting back home where an imported beer and a business report awaited him. The MBA he never wanted but finished for the sake of the Sorrentinos. They had done everything for him and he had a debt to repay.

"Fine…I'll help," he gasped. Reese looked up at the Alpha who nodded. He let go standing and wiping his hands on his pants complaining about being contaminated under his breath.

"Jude Logan, you will work for me and you will obey me from now on," Elena said. She was now over him and had one hand on his neck making him look into her eyes. He exhaled loudly but nodded accepting her authority for a while and then repeating it out loud when she demanded it. He submitted to her as his instinct told him to do.

She cocked her head to this warning him what a betrayal would mean, time with Clay and then she held out a hand and helped him up. Jude swiped a sleeve, already caked with blood and mud, across his bloody lip and took a step forward when the dark haired man, Nick, picked up his bag. They didn't look at it until they were in a nearby hotel room. Nothing required stitches but he'd be sore for a few days. It was probably a good thing Reese was holding back. He'd hate to think how bad off he would be if he hadn't.

He got out of the shower and dressed in new clothes, Reese's by the smell of it, the guy commenting that he wasn't working with a stinky dirty mutt; Elena seconded that saying it was dangerous and might leave a scent trail. He brushed his teeth and combed his long hair brushing it back and putting it in a small ponytail with an elastic. When he looked in the mirror he almost could not believe who he saw. He was older, his face was leaner but his eyes were bleary and blood shot. His lip was swollen and he might have a black eye. He was definitely not the sixteen year old he had been a few years ago but he didn't feel his age, eighteen or maybe nineteen. He had been losing track recently. The day had blurred together in forgetfulness.

Jude stepped out of the bathroom swiping a hand through his hair again. He stopped when he saw they had the contents of his bag spread out over the bed and swallowed. Reese passed him and disappeared into the bathroom slamming the door. Jude turned to them licking his lips and tasting blood. His spilt lip was bleeding again. Elena was on the bed beside the array of items. He face told him she was not happy.

"Stolen credit cards," she announced and picked them up, twenty in all, throwing them in the garbage, they had already been cut in half. Jude took a step forward to protest but Clay mirrored him and he stopped watching helpless. "Drugs, not in my pack," she said next and that went in the garbage too.

"I am not in your pack and do you know how much those are worth?" Jude said lowly. His eyes were narrowed and he took a step forward. An arm immediately came out and stopped him. Nick, the dark haired Italian man gave him a look that said think about this and then took his forearm pushing up his sleeve to show track marks. Jude pulled his arm back but the man grabbed the other one showing the same thing. How else was he supposed to forget?

"I bet if we looked between your fingers," Nick said and pushed into the palm of his hand making his finger's spread automatically to show small pinpricks between the joints, "we'd find more. Hard user are you?" he asked. Jude scowled and pulled his hand back crossing them and tucking them under his arms.

"Not when you're with us," the Alpha said again. Jude scowled for what felt like the millionth time. She started digging once more and when she got to his switch blade, one monogramed with his initials J.C.L she shook her head and pocketed it. She next examined a book he had been carrying around opening it and paging through. Most of the words were underlined and respelled out phonetically. She raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Inside a piece of paper and a photo dropped out and fluttered to the mattress.

"That's private," he sighed. The Alpha raised an eyebrow opening the paper and scanning it. When she looked up she was silent and without a word she put the paper in the book again and glanced at photo. Nick moved forward to have a look as well but Clay stayed close shadowing him.

"Who is the little boy?" she questioned. Jude sighed again. She already knew about his dad and brother and the photo was five or six years old. He walked around the bed and looked down at it followed by Clay. "That's me and Kier…our father," Jude admitted lying. He kept his gaze on his brothers. Max was the little boy. A brother the pack knew nothing about, Jude would do anything to keep it that way, and the other one was him. Kier has taken the picture with an old camera he had found that only took back and white photos. The little boy was smiling but it was a foreign look on him and it came out more as a grimace. Jude remembered it well. He was smiling because he was too scared not to.

Elena nodded silent. The only thing he was allowed to keep from his bag was the book, the paper, his I.D., including passport, they had taken the fake ones, and the family photo. He adjusted his leather cuff on his wrist and put on his necklace picking the book up and looking at the overflowing garbage can.

"This is how everything will go from now on, Jude," Elena began and stood. "You will do everything I say when I say without questions, understood?" Jude nodded annoyed gripping his book tightly in his hand. A million scenarios played out in his mind about how to get out of this but the Alpha would never let that happen. She had him and was not letting go.

"What happens after?"

"That's up to you but for now let's just say that your father and brother have gotten on my bad side enough to not be giving second chances so don't follow their lead." Jude nodded swallowing hard. His dad and his brother, well the older one, was very bad news but he was more afraid of them than the pack.

"Reese, hurry up we want to get back before dark," Nick hollered banging on the door to the bathroom. The shower shut off behind them and Jude looked from the door to the room at large. Single double bed, dresser, blinds pulled down and a small old fashioned TV sitting on top collecting dust. The pack members arranged around it all looking out of place.

"Where?" he asked pushing his fear down hard.

"The Interracial Council, that's where all the files are, we need to start going through them, weeding out the right information and using it. Unless you know where they are, that would eliminate the middle man and we could be done with this." Jude shoved shaking hands in his pocket and shook his head.

"Nah, he stopped telling me where they were going a long time ago…," he let the sentence trail off and didn't look at them. Jude was never exactly what his family wanted him to be, it hung in the air unsaid. Behind them the bathroom door opened and Jude felt the steam from the room push out in a wave warming his back.

"I'm out, I'm out," Reese grumbled behind him. Jude stiffened with the wolf at his back listening to his footsteps and waiting until he was far enough away to relax. He sounded like any other normal guy but he wasn't. Reese Williams was dangerous and Jude intended to keep an eye on the man. He'd been hearing stories for years about that one and about the Australian pack, nasty werewolves.

"I'm sure we can do this without…," he began.

"We can't." Elena's words were abrupt and Jude shut up immediately. He did not want to go to the Interracial Council, not with a cabal CEO, Lucas Cortez, heading it but it was one against four. Did he really have a choice?

"No." The room suddenly stopped around him. The gathering of coats and papers, the eradication of evidence and all talk ceased. The pack, all of them, turned their heads to look at him and then the Alpha. Reese's wet hair flopped into his eyes and he pushed it back annoyed glaring at Jude and giving Elena a look that asked if he could kick Jude's ass again.

"No?" she asked. Her voice cocky and her tone suggesting this was not going to fly.

"First, you threaten me, coerce me, beat the crap out of me and now you want to drag me to the council, where not only a Cabal CEO is in charge and can do anything he wants to me, but they will know I exist. Do you know how hard I have worked to stay off the radar? Following these benign rules for years? I can't even go to college because of the pack. I can't settle down. I can't have a fucking mate all because of the pack. I'm being punished for crimes I didn't commit. I'm tired of being jerked around and I'm not doing it anymore. Kill me if you need to but I'm done."

Elena raised an eyebrow and Clay took a step forward, nothing but ice cold in his steel blue eyes. She put an arm out to stop him steading her gaze on Jude. "You will go the council, Jude. You will help us. Would you like to know why?" she asked calmly. Jude stiffened and rolled his tongue in his mouth waiting. He bit down, a nervous action and winced.

"Why?" he asked stiffly grinding his teeth. His tongue dulled to a small throb and then the pain ceased.

"You will help us because I have ordered you too," she informed and Jude growled lowly under his breath. He was tired of this and he didn't care anymore. He would let them kill him if he had to but he wasn't living like this anymore. He glanced at Reese; anticipation lit the other wolf's eyes as he cracked his knuckles waiting for the signal. "You will help us because afterwards, when your father and brother are dead I will let you settle down in a state of my choice, go to school and have a life as long as you follow the rules. I would rather have a willing participant and you should get something out of this, you have never done anything wrong. Understand that if you take one step out of line I will give no second chances."

Jude stared at her surprised. Suddenly a dark tunnel had fallen in and he could see light and possibilities. He could save Max, they could go to school, do what they wanted and he could find someone. All he had to do was help the pack. "I want that in writing and to be witnessed by non-pack members in case you decided verbal isn't good enough." Elena agreed to this and informed him that when they got to the council they could. Until then he had to trust she would not kill him or go back on her word. Not an easy thing to do.

Again he was stuck in a car with a bunch of pack wolves, again stuck beside the Aussie wolf. There was only one vehicle, five of them, four to begin with. He listened to their conversations closely but kept his eyes on the road to his left. Watching for anything unusual, more pack wolves he hadn't noticed or maybe someone following him. The trip was fast, he ignored all the questions directed at him about his family, answered all the ones he felt gave the least information.

They pulled up in front of a concrete type of buildings, a few signs out front for announced there was a sewing store, Needles N' Threads, and a pita place, The Pita Casa, and stuck in the middle was a clock shop, Clocks, that one was not as creative. Jude was starting to doubt this when he saw a smaller sign off to the side, almost hidden in its obscurity, Winterbourne-Cortez Investigations. A small grey door with a key card slot blocked the way. Elena took out the appropriate card and swiped in.

The Alpha went first followed by Jude and the others. Elena swiped twice more, the last time after a set of ten stairs, and finally they entered a foyer. It looked like a receptionist space with a desk, waiting chairs and a fern, at the desk a woman with long dark hair, a tall lean build and big dark blue eyes. She spoke on the phone with a bored expression but brightened when she saw them making a wait motion and then hurry up motions to the person on the phone.

"Elena, guys," a female voice said. Jude hadn't had time to study the area properly when a woman, brown hair and curvy as hell, walked through the side door followed by a Latino, unassuming with glasses, and straight for them. Jude immediately stepped to the side as they greeted. She hugged Elena lightly, odd for a werewolf, nodded to the guys who probably would not appreciate a hug. Werewolves were not one for touching unless it was with trusted members of their family or pack.

Jude shoved his hands in his pockets to still them and eyed the man, he knew who he was. Lucas Cortez's gaze flicked over him, stopped and then went on to the others. He greeted Clay with a hand shake and they spoke lowly. Jude glanced behind him at Reese and Nick standing a bit more quietly, not as acquainted with them it seemed.

When the woman on the phone finally hung up she flew to her feet and raced across the room hugging Elena with a lot more force and without hesitation. The Alpha, to Jude's surprise, smiled and hugged her back asking how she was. When they let go Savannah looked at Reese and winked, they seemed to be about the same age.

"Have a girlfriend yet?" she asked. Reese grinned and shook his head.

"Nah, can't have just one," Nick teased punching Reese in the upper arm. Reese stiffened and rolled his eyes. Jude glanced from one to the other annoyed and confused.

"I can," a male voice called swinging through the doorway, a tall blonde with cheerful blue eyes and lots of muscle. He looked a bit like Reese but had an American accent and the whole boy next door thing down. He fist bumped Reese and Nick and nodded to Elena and Clay.

Jude shuffled his feet seriously uncomfortable with this and concentrated on the window at the other side of the room, buildings and blue skies. He jerked sharply when he heard his name and looked over. They were all watching him now. "Jude, this is Paige and Lucas, witch and sorcerer, Savannah, witch and Adam, half demon," Elena introduced.

"He likes fire," Reese laughed and Adam nodded smirking.

"Fire," Jude asked watching the man. In that instant the man's eyes darkened and his fingers produced a small flame. Jude backed up a bit a little shocked. He had heard of witches and sorcerers of course but only of half demons in stories. Apparently those stories were true.

"We have supper all ready at the house," Paige informed after a second of silence.

"Good, but we have a little legal matter to deal with first," Clay drawled. Jude sensed he did not agree with this but would do what Elena, his mate and Alpha, wanted.

"Of course, what matter can I assist with?" Lucas asked. They spent the next half hour at a long table in a conference room drafting the contract in different version and paragraphs until it was a page long. It stated the exact terms that Elena and Jude 'discussed'. The part that unnerved him was the one that said he would owe the pack until his father and brother were dead. The pack could do whatever they wanted with him, use him in any way and if they never died he would owe them for life. He would spend his life paying them back of hunting his family and he hated that.

"I want a time limit," Jude said reading the words again and looking at the Alpha across the table. She shook her head.

"If I give you a time limit then you can push the task," apparently killed was just a task now, "until the end of the limit, take what we have agreed to in the end and leave. I am not stupid Jude. I will do what is best for the pack and what is best is to eradicate the threat. What is best is for you to help and we have already discussed the terms of what will happen if you don't."

"Have you told them?" Jude asked glancing around at the council members. "How you threaten to…" someone grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth. Jude fought to not attack and froze. An image of him doing the same thing to Max when they were little to keep him from making noise flashed through his mind. He shook it off trying to concentrate.

"That is a pack matter and they respect the pack enough to not interfere with our methods," Nick said in a matter-a-fact voice. Elena nodded and he let Jude go.

"We do respect the pack and we do not want to know," Adam confirmed. Jude glared at him and then at the contract. He sighed and pulled it towards him taking the pen and signing it with an angry flourish. He watched as Elena, Nick and then Lucas and Paige signed it as witnesses.

Jude sat back feeling his life slip away from under his fingers. It was a trap. They would never be able to kill his father and brother; he'd just contracted himself to the pack for the rest of his life. The only thing he could hope for was to at least get Max out of there. The Alpha had lied. There would be no college, no mate and no life, no children. He felt like he had been tricked and his mind was quickly thinking of plans to escape this, however impossible.

The wait until the next morning when he could look at the files and put his plans into motion was the longest period of his life but he knew why Elena had done it. He wouldn't try and get away if he hadn't seen the files yet. She could count on him staying put for at least one night.

"I'm Adam and I will be playing research assistant," the blonde half demon joked as Jude entered the room. Jude clamped his mouth shut staring at the tan files on top of the table. He sat down across from Adam and reached for the top one but the half demon's hand stopped him.

Jude rolled his eyes and pulled his arm away with a jerk, like he had been burned, still staring at the pile. Elena sat down to the right of him and pulled the file towards her. She sorted through the pile handing two to Adam and another two to Jude. "Go through these. I want you to cross out anything that is wrong and correct it when necessary," she instructed and handed him a felt tipped red marker.

Jude nodded opening the file eager to see what was in it, ignoring the person that sat to his left and the others riffling through files talking quietly. The file on top was about him. He swallowed and looked at Elena shutting the file and setting the marker down. "No." she looked up from her own file and blinked. "I agreed to give you information about my father and my brother not myself. Give me their files and I will do that but I am not correcting you on information about myself. You already know too much," he said, "and," he continued when Elena opened her mouth, "if you insist than I am breaking my contract. I will not help you."

"Fine."

Jude raised an eyebrow and nodded surprised she had given in so easily. He opened his file again glancing through it. Most of the information on first look was true and he cursed in his head trying not to give anything anyway as he casually studied it. When he was done he set the file to the side and picked up the next one, his brothers. Kier Logan was eight years older than Jude. While Jude was learning how to talk and walk his brother was learning how to kill and fight. By the time Jude was old enough to understand what Kier was doing he was changing, which had started early for him at fifteen, killing every few weeks and causing them to move frequently.

Jude understood one thing about his older brother as early on as two years old, he had no heart. Kier would smile at the newscast about the missing humans while describing it all to Jude sitting on his lap and holding his ears so he wouldn't hear, he'd do things to animals that would make Jude scream and cry howling as loud as the animals, he would hit Jude for running from him or his sadistic tortures breaking more bones than Jude could count. Jude's father was never one to help with Kier. Eventually he would tell Kier to "leave the boy alone" but his dad thought he was too soft and that Kier could only help him get stronger.

The worst was when Max came along. One day his father just walked in and dropped a screaming two year old toddler on the floor telling Jude, only seven at the time, to take care of him. He had no idea where Max came from and of course Max never remembered. Jude spent the rest of his life protecting Max from them and in punishment, when eventually Jude proved he could not follow the rules they disappeared with him. That was three years ago. Max was only eleven at the time. For all Jude knew they had killed him. If not he would be fourteen and he'd probably given up hope of Jude ever finding him, rescuing him. Jude had promised Max he would find him and he would, he had to.

Much of the information about Kier was correct but Jude crossed a few things like the date of his first kill, Jude would always remember that. He was three and playing on the kitchen floor with some Tupperware containers. His brother had come in the door covered in blood but grinning from ear to ear. Kier's eyes were lit up like Christmas had come and it was the best one yet. His father had freaked out and they had left Jude alone, a common occurrence. Later that night he woke up, on the couch, dried tears tracks on his cheeks because he was hungry and it was dark, and his father and brother were in the kitchen washing blood off of themselves and talking. Kier was eleven at his first kill, the age that Jude had lost his little brother. Jude stood in the kitchen doorway rubbing his eyes and whimpering until they noticed him.

His father finally sighed and turned opening the fridge door, it was too heavy for Jude to get himself, and he set some food on the table picking the boy up and setting him on his lap. Jude grabbed the food with both hands and stuffed it in his mouth almost choking. He didn't remember what the food was but he remembered getting a spanking that night before his dad threw him in his room and Jude shoved his face in his pillow trying not to let the sounds come out. His father was not a tolerant man. Eventually Jude learned to keep all the fears inside but he never learned to enjoy the killing and the fighting like they did. He made sure Max never enjoyed it or saw it either. Jude was the one who took the brunt of the punishments, who shielded Max from the things going on.

"He was only eleven?" Nick asked and Jude nodded. He would only learn years later that Kier's first kill was actually Jude's mother before Jude had been born. He flew into a jealous rage at the attention their father was paying her, and Jude still in the womb, and came at her with a kitchen knife almost killing them both. His father managed to save him but not his mother. He hesitated on telling the pack this and decided to keep it to himself. He often wondered how he survived being a baby with Kier around. Max had been lucky to have Jude as a protector but who had Jude had, their father possibly?

"My brother was never one to wait until the proper age to get something done. He'd been practicing on animals since he was a toddler so, I imagine he got bored," Jude said casually.

"That's the problem," Elena confessed, "He's getting bored again." She took some news clippings from under the folders and handed them over. Jude took them gingerly and skimmed through them. Two girls at once, held captive for days. He set the papers aside after he confirmed it was Kier and closed his eyes for a moment rubbing them. He hoped to everything good in this world that Max was not involved, that Kier had not forced their kind hearted little brother to hurt anyone in the hopes it would toughen him up.

Jude went back to the pages crossing out things there, the number of kills, and adding to some paragraphs, information such as their many hiding locations and Kier's favorite killing techniques. Adding much more than he was taking away from, he did the same with his father's, a man who was distant but not as psychotic as his brother. He did tolerate the way Kier acted though. Jude often wondered if that was because he was as afraid of his son as Jude was, a distinct possibility.

As Jude went through the files and set them back in the stack he made a mental note of where they all were. Night fall had passed hours ago and Elena was making noise about getting some sleep and starting in the morning. Nick took the files organizing them and then picking one up and looking at it. He nodded setting the file in a pile before Elena gestured for them all to leave. Jude eyed the folders before the turned and did as told following them from the room and the building.


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing except some original characters I sometimes bring in. Kelley Armstrong owns The Otherworld and all the wonderful information there.

Ch 2 Organized Chaos

It took him forty minutes to walk to Winterbourne-Cortez Investigations, jogging most of the way. He had the key card he had stolen clenched in his hand. Paranoid he had avoided main streets and street lights the whole way. He didn't survive to adulthood without being suspicious. Jude crouched in the bushes watching the parking lot, after five minutes of no movement from anywhere within a thirty foot radius he slunk across the black top hood up and hands shoved in his pockets. He was aware that in this part of town he probably looked like a gang member which was a good and bad thing. If someone spotted him they either called the cops or just ran for it.

He took out the card and let himself in running up the stairs and using the key card and the key code, a little harder to figure out; he had just memorized it earlier, on the last door. He kept his hood up as he walked down the hallway and to the board room where they had left the files. Setting a hand on the doorknob he expected coldness to seep into his skin, he was met with warmth. Instantly he tensed sniffing and looking around. Something was off but he had to do this now so there was no time to figure out what. Normally he would be more cautious but his brother couldn't wait for him any longer.

Letting himself in he headed for the folders just visible in the moonlight on the table. He quick stepped forward within seconds of reaching them. A sense of relief filled him when his fingers touched the cardboard, also warm. He stiffened and turned slightly in time to see a dark figure flying at him. The attacker was so silent Jude didn't hear a thing. He struck out at the person's jaw as they tumbled over one another and hit the floor in flurry of fists and growls. Jude tried to sniff in but the man smashed him in the nose and all he could smell was iron.

"Stop it, Jude," Clay snarled and caught his wrists flipping him over and jamming a knee into his back. He had a tight grip on Jude's hair and had some kind of rope he threaded around his neck pulling to make him gasp. "Just stop." Jude took a few quick breaths in through his mouth tasting the blood that dripped past his lips from his broken nose. A shadow fell over his face as he turned it to look at the pack members and the rope slackened.

"Jude, I trust you have a good reason for this." Jude sniffed in wincing and glared at Elena crouching on the right side of his head. Her blue eyes were bright with annoyance and warning. The Alpha stood there and not the woman anymore. In one fluid movement Clay grabbed his shoulders and flipped him over moving his knee into his stomach and telling Nick to pin his hands above his head.

"My good reason is you tricking me, bitch," Jude growled. He didn't see Clay back hand him on the right side but he felt bones crack as the side of his face smacked the floor. Clay then grabbed the front of his jacket and pulled him up smashing him back into the floor hard. He felt the back of his head hit and lost consciousness for a moment.

"One more disrespectful word and I will snap your neck," he warned. When Jude's head cleared he nodded opening his eyes and seeing blurred forms. While he was still dazed Clay hauled him to his feet and shoved him in a chair. Jude didn't struggle until he heard zip strips. He tried to stand but was pushed back down and held, his hands were tied to the chair arms.

He closed his eyes for a moment concentrating on the back of his head throbbing painfully. When he opened them he saw Elena had seated herself in front of him and crossed her legs. "I didn't trick you Jude, but I did say I would not give you a second chance. You have consented to help us and I still need you. Anymore shit like this and I will let Reese practice his killing skills on you when this is done. For now I think a warning is in order," she said lowly. Clay stepped up behind her along with Reese and Jude swallowed. This warning would sink in quick but take quite a while to wear off he imagined.

Jude stood when Nick grabbed his arm and hauled keeping a hold of him as they descended through the building and to the basement level. A room held a large cage with a cot. Nick pushed him to his knees inside and Reese cracked his knuckles. When Jude looked up he expected to see Reese smiling but the older wolf had instead taken on a reserved look. Jude stiffened and closed his eyes.

One black eye and bruised ribs taped up, he woke up feeling as if had gotten off lucky the next morning. As he ate breakfast he glanced at Reese's hand, even minus part of his fingers the guy hit really hard. He had gotten the message. One more mistake and they would find his brother and father without him effectively eradicating his family tree in one go. They might let Max live maybe, but from what he heard they did to the Cain's family line he wasn't sure. None of the Cain's was under twenty though and none of them were good, at least from what Jude remembered.

When they were very little they went to visit the Cain's a few times a year. One of the guys, Jude couldn't remember his name, was his age but there was no one for Max to play with. Jude stuck by his brother's side instead making sure no extra werewolves picked on him and played Max's games with him, pirates in the woods with stick sword fights was a favorite as was cloud watching and day dreaming. Max was a staunch supporter of talking about what he would be when he was grown up. Like most kids it varied from astronaut to pirate but there was a time that it changed dramatically.

One day Jude got too much of the brunt of the neighbourhood kid's dislike of him and his family and Kier gave it to him a second time for drawing attention to them. Max was six and spent the day changing bandages, stopping blood flow and being there for Jude. No kid that age should ever know how to do those things but Max did. He declared from then on he would be a doctor and started reading books far above his reading level, on the subject. Jude had taught him to read shortly after he was brought there and there was nothing Max loved more.

Elena was looking at a map and her computer containing incident reports of the mutt's most recent activity and getting frustrated. His brother and father never stayed in one place for very long. Her final plan did not make Jude happy. He would need to draw them out. That would most likely get him killed. His father and brother were not fools; they would know that Jude was not there for a social visit. The last time he cut ties with them they had almost killed him for disloyalty. He was jumpy and anxious, looking around every corner because of them but he had to help Max. If he could use the pack to help his brother he would, he would do anything.

"You realize they hate me, right? They will probably kill me on the spot."

"Well, it would give us time to kill them," Nick mused. Jude scowled.

"You don't expect me to survive this do you?" Jude muttered rolling a peach pit across the top of the table frustrated.

"On the contrary, I expect you to survive this and owe the pack," Elena smiled wolf like which was disconcerting on a human being. Jude supressed a shiver and squeezed the peach pit until it bit into his palm.

"Wouldn't that be fun, pack slave for life? Do they make t-shirts for that?" Jude snorted with a smirk. Reese immediately took a step forward threatening but Elena stopped him and smiled at Jude, winter cold.

"No, but I can make some if you'd like." Jude chuckled at his and rolled his eyes. He would have to accept the fact that he may never get along with the Alpha or maybe she would never get along with him but he could use her just like she was using him.

"One question Jude," she said shutting the laptop and turning to him all sarcastic irony gone from her voice now. She set her right foot over her left knee and crossed her arms. Jude pushed his chair back a little on instinct. "What are you not telling me?" Jude froze. His mind was spinning a million different ways but he managed to shake his head and tell her that there was nothing. "There was a reason you took off last night disobeying me and it was not because you were scared. There is something else going on you are not telling me and for us to continue I need to know what that is. Keep in mind I am done giving you chances."

Jude jerked when he felt a hard hand on his shoulder and gritted his teeth. After a moment he shook his head fiercely. "How about we play a little game called answer my questions? The way this works is you smarten up and tell me what you are hiding from me and I don't let Clay hit you again, understand the rules?" she asked. Jude squeezed his eyes shut wincing and deliberating. If he told them about Max they might assume he was part of the problem and eliminate him right away. If he kept his mouth shut he might not be able to walk by the end of the day or think, brain dead was not a good look on a werewolf.

"Tick tock mate," Reese's voice reminded. Jude supressed a shiver and opened his eyes jerked back when he saw Reese was close and had a fist raised to backhand him. He glanced at Elena who was waiting patiently for now. "Three," Reese began, "two," he continued now smiling. Apparently giving him a beating subdued the guy but a few good hits cheered him right up.

"I…I didn't lie exactly…," Jude sputtered gripping the chair edges. The only sound was his leather jacket squeaking. Reese looked back at Elena and she nodded. He lowered his hand but stayed where he was. Possibly he could hide Max until they got there but they were going to find out there was another kid involved. If he told them about Max and how great a kid he was, how talented and how much potential he had then maybe the pack would give him a break. He took a few seconds to think before letting out a whoosh of air.

"I have a brother," Jude admitted.

"Been there done that," Clay muttered and Jude shook his head. Elena looked confused for a moment before clarity struck her. In the next second she grabbed his book bag digging through the font pocket and taking out the photo. She studied it and then set it down meeting Jude's eyes with understanding.

"You're the older boy in this photo, Jude. I didn't notice since it is black and white and you two look so similar but…who and where is the younger boy?" she questioned. Nick sidled over and glanced at the photo as well looking from a younger to an older Jude surprised.

"That's Max," he explained and then told them everything. Once it started coming out it was a confessional and he couldn't stop the tide. "He's thirteen almost fourteen now if he's still alive. That's why I wanted to steal the files. If I had them that meant leverage and my dad would tell me where they are. I could rescue Max or figure out…what they did to him at least," Jude explained.

Elena had paled during the conversation and was pacing by the end of it. She had glanced at the photo a few more times and when she finally put it down she set her hands on the table studying him again. "What makes you think I would hurt a child?" she asked suddenly. Jude shrugged and winced at the pain.

"You don't seem very amenable to the whole young mutt thing so I wasn't sure age mattered."

"It does," Clay clarified. "If this kid is so young he is not even changing yet it does, it makes a big difference."

"You ever hear of Noah Stillwell?" Nick asked. Jude nodded. "He was running with mutts when we found him but he was a kid, seventeen. We took him in and helped him. We didn't punish or blame him for circumstances he couldn't control."

"Noah's family used to be pack, that makes a difference too," Jude argued. It had to. Pack connections were unbreakable for the most part, unless the wolf did something unforgivable and it had to be really deplorable, done multiple times. Malcolm Danvers was a good example of this and Daniel Santos.

"Regardless, we do not hurt children or young teenagers," Elena emphasized and Jude did not miss the "young" part in that sentence. "Even werewolves who have skirted the law around their first change will only get a warning the first time. We will find Max and help him if he is still alive," she promised. Yes, a warning meant a light beating at the very least. The werewolf world was harsh but that was the only way they understood.

"No, as part of the contract I want you to help me find him. We don't need your help after that. I help find and kill my father and older brother. After that I take Max. We disappear and you never hear from us again," Jude countered.

"For future reference," Clay said leaning down so he was face to face with Jude who tried to back up. Nick put both hands on the armrests keeping him in place, "_No _is not part of your vocabulary anymore when talking to the Alpha or one of us," he emphasized. Elena set a hand on his back and the Beta stood backing up. Jude swallowed his spiking terror.

"If and when we kill you father and brother we will discuss Max's care. Until then let's focus on finding them." Jude swallowed and nodded. Fine, he could play this game too. He'd find Max and take off, to hell with whatever else happened. Hopefully the pack would get rid of the problem but they were not getting his brother. He'd been fighting to get back to him for years and he would not let the pack take him just because they thought they knew what was best. Who knows how much they could screw him up? He did not want his kind and soft hearted brother, if there was anything good left in him, to become one of these brutes.

"One question, Elena," Jude suddenly said mimicking her from before. Elena closed her eyes for a moment irritated and Clay's eyes iced over.

"What?" she asked. Jude sensed he was pushing all the wrong buttons with her and he intended to keep pushing.

"Why now? Why do you want Kier and my dad now? What did they do besides Kier being his usual evil sadistic self?" he asked.

Elena picked up the laptop and set it in a bag before answered. "I told you, he is getting bored again. More women are going missing and he is more than skirting the line of obscurity. I am tired of his shit," she answered and then turned to Clay who took the laptop.

"No," Jude said looking at Clay whose lip twitched, "this has to be more. Kier has been doing that for years. They did something bigger, right?" he asked. Elena ignored him and walked from the room followed by Clay who gave him a warning look.

"You're going to get yourself killed, mate," Reese sighed. Jude nodded knowing this. He'd been skirting that line all his life with different people. It tended to spice life up to a certain degree. Nick huffed and gestured for Jude to go sharing a look with Reese. "If he does at least I won't have to beat him up again."

"Reese," Nick admonished.

"It's alright. I can take it," Jude said looking directly at Reese who kept his gaze and took a step forward. Nick sighed and stepped between them pushing them away from one another, ordering them to stay away from one another and then, Reese not to start a fight. Nick took Jude's shoulder and pushed him out telling Reese to stay behind them.

Inside the SUV Elena handed Jude a number of newspapers clippings and a highlighter ordering him to go through them and tell them which ones were his brothers doing. "Until that's done I don't want to hear a word from you," the Alpha ordered. Jude opened his mouth and then closed it when she gave him a look. Instead he raised a hand and watched her pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Do you want me to document his escalation, triggers etc?" Jude asked. Elena stopped surprised for a moment and then nodded turning around in her seat. Jude had the back seat to himself and he spread the newspaper out and started going through them. The last incident was in Chicago where he assumed they were headed to. It was dark by the time he had separated the 36 articles, 25 of them which were definitely his brother.

Jude paced as Elena studied the papers and made some notes. Clay was hovering over her shoulder and reading as well; once in a while he would pick up one of the articles and murmur something or tell Elena to make a note. He was wearing a pattern in the floor. His skin was itching like crazy and he had to concentrate on his breathing to keep it even. "Would you stop?" Nick asked from the bed where he was lounging and flipping through news articles online trying to pinpoint where exactly his brother was.

"Sit," Reese growled flicking through news channels. He grabbed Jude's arm and hauled him down onto the bed. Jude stilled himself resisting the urge to scratch his arm, his neck, his stomach or to look at his skin which was bubbling with black under his clothes. It was the anxiety pushing his change on. He would not look out the window at the woods that bordered the hotel, he would not even if they kept calling to him or forcing him to join them.

"Jude!" Reese growled and suddenly he hit the floor hard. Reese stood over him shaking his head. Jude was confused for a moment until he realized he had gotten up, gone to the windows and was opening it. The threat was clear. Jude scrambled up and launched himself at Reese throwing a punch which the Aussie werewolf dodged. Nick grabbed Jude from behind and threw him into the wall stopping his momentum before he pinned him there.

"I'm done, we're doing this without you Jude," Elena announced. Jude stiffened knowing what this meant. He would end up in the woods after all, in a shallow grave. He started to snarl a protest but Nick cut him off.

"Elena, wait, look," Nick said lifting up the back of Jude's shirt. The skin on his back bulged and moved with black snakes under his skin and his breathing hitched. "He's more than due for a change." Elena sighed and muttered something under her breath before she ordered Nick and Reese to take him to the woods.

Nick pulled Jude around and pushed him towards the door not letting go of the back of his shirt. Reese followed them closely. They walked a full mile before Nick thought it was safe enough to change. The pack had chosen a hotel close to a large patch of woods that was supposed to be unused. They were still careful, scouting before they started undressing.

"Rules," Nick suddenly said Jude suspected just for his benefit. "You stay with one of us at all times. If you hear or see a human you hide until they leave. You do not let anyone see you no matter what. If they do you run and hope to hell they assume you are a dog. If you can't control your instincts and attack them we kill you immediately."

"I've been changing since I was sixteen," Jude snapped. Nick gave him a look and told Reese not to worry about it since the change was clearly addling the guy's brain.

"Undress," Nick ordered and let go pushing Jude ahead. He stumbled a bit and fell to one knee glaring back at him as he started unzipping his coat. Nick gestured to Reese who started pulling his shirt over his head and unzipping his jeans. "I'm going to stand watch for now, make sure he doesn't fuck up." Reese nodded again as Jude rolled his eyes folding up his clothes and setting his shoes on top.

He walked to a nearby bush and crouched behind it on all four concentrating on the animal and not the pack members nearby. It was never a quick process but after ten minutes he was lying on the ground and panting. Outside a wolf growled and stuck his muzzle in. Jude snapped at him and slowly stood walking to meet the other wolf.

Reese snorted and trotted up to him sniffing him and then grabbing the fur around his neck to try and push him down. Jude growled and dug his claws into the dirt snapping at the blonde wolf. Reese opened his large jaw to uteer a warning but Jude danced back and then turned taking off into the woods with Nick hollering something behind him. Jude did not understand but admittedly he wasn't trying very hard.

He let his anxiety and fear run itself out but Reese was on his heels the whole time. Finally Jude tired and Reese tackled him sending them both rolling on top of one and snarling for position. Ultimately Reese pinned Jude on his back biting his neck hard to make him submit. With a yip and then a howl of pain Jude conceded and stilled. Reese snapped his ear and then stood huffing for Jude to follow him.

Changed and breathing hard behind the bush again. He had a few seconds to clear his head before a hand reached in, grabbed his shoulder and hauled him from the bush to throw him to the ground. "You do not take off without my permission. What the hell Jude? You're on thin ice as it is. Why can't you just obey you little shit?" the Aussie wolf roared. The change was still bright in his eyes and his hair was plastered to his head. He was wild right then and not in complete control.

"Temper much?" Jude huffed and sucked in a breath. Anger sparked in his eyes but before he could do anything Nick grabbed his shoulder and pulled him off ordering him to finish dressing. Nick shook his head at Jude who stood and grabbed his own clothes redressing. Reese appeared when he pulled his shoes on and opened his mouth but Nick told him to shut it.

When they reached the hotel again Reese immediately popped the top on an imported beer, made a face, swallowed it down and sat on the bed ignoring them all. Elena quirked an eyebrow and looked at Nick who said he'd explain later.

"Ok, Jude we've narrowed it down a bit. There have been a few incidents you can look at but I think your brother and father are in Chicago," Elena said. Jude nodded and took the iPad she handed him. He took two seconds to agree immediately seeing his brother's familiar pattern and hope, for the first time hope. Max might be alive and it was really the only thing keeping him going. Hope.

"When can we go?" he asked eagerly.

"We can't just go in, we need a plan. We'll scout the area, get a sense of what is going on and then I will decide what is best. I already have a few friends looking at the location," Elena announced. Jude opened his mouth and then glanced at the others dumbfounded by their automatic acceptance of her every word. What happened to democracy? This was ridiculous.

"Max has been there for three years under their psychotic thumb. Who knows what they've done to him. He can't wait any longer," Jude protested. Elena didn't even deign to look over at him. None of the other pack wolves acknowledged him. Frustrated Jude smacked the headboard cracking it down the middle and hissing through his teeth in pain. His hand gave a sharp stab of pain and then started throbbing.

"You deserve that." Jude glared at the back of the Alpha's head. The pack was as pigheaded and annoying as he had always heard. That was fine. He'd hitch a ride to Chicago and then go on his own. He could snatch his brother and just go. The pack could deal with the mutts as long as Max was ok.

Jude rubbed his hand as the pack talked. Restless again he walked to the window and twitched the curtain aside to look at the parking lot. "Here, this should hold you over," Elena said. Jude turned and saw her holding up her iPad. She had brought up a recent picture of a brown shaggy haired boy with ocean blue and green eyes walking away from the warehouse. His hands were shoved in his pocket and a familiar look of concentration was plastered on his face.

Jude immediately sat with the device in his hands staring at the picture and then the next few. Only one showed him looking directly at the screen, he was frowning. Jude swiped through them again and then a third time. He squeezed his eyes to small slits to dispel the oncoming emotions. His brother was alive, Max was really alive.

"We'll get him out but you need to start trusting me and the members of my pack, understood?" Elena asked. Jude nodded as she took the device back. His eyes followed the boy's face until the screen went black. Jude cleared his throat and glanced up. Everyone but Elena, and Clay, were packing up and sweeping broken pieces of various items into dust pans.

"Did you hear him say anything Darlin'?" Clay asked.

"No," she answered, neither of them took their eyes off of him.

Jude watched them too relieved to be annoyed. "I get it. I'll try," he promised. The Alpha met his eyes. "I will….just…," he stammered lost for words. He put a hand behind his head in thinking mode. "Thanks. Thank you. This means a lot," Jude acquiesced to her totally changing his attitude.

Elena smiled slightly and nodded. "I know."


End file.
